Pammy's hat-trick

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Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has sent a petition
to Queen Elizabeth II urging Britain's monarch to stop the use of
bear pelts in making the tall black helmets worn by palace
guards.

The charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or
PETA, said Anderson collected 200 signatures from fans in Britain
and mailed the petition to Buckingham Palace. A palace spokeswoman
refused to comment.

In her petition, the 37-year-old actress argued that synthetic
materials should be used to make the hats worn by guards who patrol
the palace gate.

The towering black hat, or busby, dates back almost 200 years to
the Battle of Waterloo and is a key part of the uniform of the five
guards' regiments - the Coldstream, Grenadier, Irish, Scots and
Welsh. It also features in traditional ceremonies like Trooping the
Colour and the Changing of the Guard.

"We the undersigned urge the queen to call on the Ministry of
Defence to cease the use of real fur on the uniforms for the
regiment of foot guards," the petition said.

Anderson collected the signatures at a London store where she
was signing copies of her new novel.